Heads Up:Real News About Drugs and Your Body - Scholastic

John Crawford has an identical twin. His 16-year-old
brother, Keith, is his mirror image. John has brown
hair, brown eyes, and a slightly crooked smile. So
does Keith. John weighs about 160 pounds. Ditto for
Keith. The brothers walk the same, talk the same—their
friends tease them because they even bowl the same.
The reason, of course, is that identical twins share
exactly the same genes, those tiny units of hereditary
material (DNA) that carry instructions for forming
all the cells in the body and directing their activity.
Beyond their physical similarities, the brothers also
share less-obvious traits. These range from harmless
things such as food preferences—they both love hot
chilies—to unseen vulnerabilities, such as a risk for
heart disease, diabetes, and drug addiction.
You’ve probably heard that drug and alcohol abuse
runs in families. But what exactly does that mean John
and Keith have a parent who struggles with alcoholism,
so are they destined by genetics to face the same fate
The good news is that no single factor determines
whether a person will become addicted to drugs. That’s
because genetics, biology, and environment all influence
a person’s risk for drug addiction, defined as a chronic
yet treatable brain disease characterized by compulsive
drug seeking and use.
So, while the saying may be that substance abuse
“runs in the family,” a whole list of other risk factors in
addition to genes come into play to determine whether a
person gets hooked. These include biological factors, such
as genetics, one’s age, or the presence of other diseases,
as well as environmental factors, such as diet, stress,
or peer pressure. Neither John nor Keith shares their
parent’s battle with addiction, but the twins know that
their family genetics can increase their risk of addiction.
It may be hard to see how a tiny piece of DNA could
influence the risk of becoming addicted. The fact is,
however, that scientists have identified several genes
that can do just that. In reality, every gene comes in
different forms, or variants, and researchers have
discovered that some of these variants can make
people more likely to abuse marijuana, heroin, cocaine,
and other illegal, as well as legal, drugs. Certain genes
Who Becomes
Addicted
These key factors are involved in the question of
who becomes addicted to drugs:
biology: The genes that someone
is born with—in combination with
environmental factors––account for
about half of a person’s risk for drug
addiction. Other biological factors
include a person’s gender, ethnic background,
whether there are mental disorders present, and how
each drug affects each person’s unique biology.
Developmental stages also affect one’s addiction
vulnerability. Here, adolescents face a double
challenge: One part is that the earlier that drug use
begins, the more likely it is to progress to more
serious abuse. The other part is that adolescents’
brains are still developing in the areas that govern
decision making, judgment, and self-control.
Because of this, teens are especially prone to risktaking
behaviors, including trying drugs.
Environment: Environmental factors
can be broken down into two
categories. “Risk factors” include
those that make drug use more
likely. Examples include lack of
parental supervision or chaotic home environments;
substance abuse at home; associating with peers
who use drugs; and even the availability and cost of
drugs. “Protective factors” reduce the potential for
drug use. Examples include parental monitoring and
involvement; strong neighborhood, community, or
school attachments; or strong family connections.
Assessing personal risk is a complex issue—and risk
factors for one person may be quite different from
those for another. However, eliminating risk factors,
or increasing protective factors, are actions that can
help keep you safe from drug abuse. •••
Photos, top to bottom: © Photodisc/Veer; © CSA Mod Art/Veer.
FROM SCHOLASTIC AND THE SCIENTISTS OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 3